Friday,
Saturday , Sunday ; June 7- 9th,
2013
Tucumcari Convention Center, Lizard Lounge, Tri Star Lounge and Highway 66 itself in Tucumcari,NM
Tucumcari Convention Center, Lizard Lounge, Tri Star Lounge and Highway 66 itself in Tucumcari,NM
With
all of the events planned for the inaugural Rockabilly on the Route weekender (the
Classic Car Show & Burn Out, Gilded Cage Burlesk, Miss Rockabilly Route 66 Pin-Up Contest, Gospel Brunch
Bowling and more, bracketed with plenty tats and enough pomade to start a grease
fire) it may seem a shame to focus on the music here. But that’s no more outré
than capital-R Rockabilly itself . Seen from the outside, it may seem an
unlikely holdover from the early days of rock and roll but there have always
been Rockabilly holdouts, just as there have always been Doo-Wop holdouts or
Rocker holdouts (eg. the infamous Mods Vs Rockers debacle of early Swinging
London).
A
celebration of those holdouts, Rockabilly on the Route has been in the works
since last November according to Miss Loca Linda (editrix of La Loca Magazine),
one of the event organizers who has been working with the local Chamber of
Commerce, the Wheels on 66 Rally and the
New Mexico Route 66 Association Motor Tour.
Proceeds from the weekender benefit Tucumcari’s
under-construction New Mexico Route 66 Museum.
More
than any other rock genre, Rockabilly has retained a strong take on
fashion, form and old fashioned values.
Don’t misunderstand. Rockabilly is not just appearance. The music is the
heartbeat, the centerpiece over which the rest of the culture is draped. Witness
the couples at any Rockabilly show swinging each other all over the floor or
the cats standing by the stage carefully assessing the vintage amps.
Which
brings us back to the Saturday night headliner of Rockabilly on the Route, the
fabulous Miss Wanda Jackson. First things first. She was not just a “ female Elvis” ( as
Jackson and her contemporary , the great Janis Martin were often billed).
Presley may have introduced Rockabilly to the masses but don’t forget he took
most of those masses right along to Vegas with him while Jackson stayed true to
her country roots. Some of her earliest mid-fifties recordings were straight up country at a time when the
genre was moving well away from front porch picking to the more urban concerns
of a swiftly modernizing countryside. Like Patsy Cline, in the hands of record
producers who believed that “Girls don’t sell records” , Jackson was often
saddled with maudlin weepers, strings and pop choruses behind her.
It
wasn’t long though before songs with a heavy bass backbeat and Jackson’s growling lioness voice and glamorous fashion
sense (spiked heels, bangle earrings, tight-fitting midriff- baring dresses)
made her stand out from the conservative Country & Western crowd. A select
group of top sidemen didn’t hurt either: pianist Big Al Downing, pedal steel
player Ralph Mooney and guitarist Vernon Sandusky.
Although
often called The First Lady of Rockabilly, Jackson’s later country career was
much more successful and lucrative, capped by a turning toward Christianity
that produced some wonderful but lesser known gospel recordings. Jackson in
fact has always been uncomfortable with the rock lifestyle, saying in 1987, “I got thrown into the rock
and roll scene and I didn’t understand these people. I was just country folk,
you know?”
But
don’t fret. Jackson is still known for playing the full range of her material
and it’s a goldmine with over fifty years worth of recordings. And yes I know
what you’re thinking: can a 76 year old performer still deliver onstage? Trust
me. Unlike many “oldies” acts that tour the lucrative but embarrassing casino
circuit, Miss Jackson has taken care of her voice and health and still knows
how to perform. There’s nary another in her age bracket that can boast the
same.
Of
notable bands on the bill --including the all-fem Danger Cakes (Austin TX ) or The Chop Tops (Santa Cruz, CA) -- we’re
happy to see a couple of Albuquerque’s newest rockabilly acts. Mr Right and The Leftovers veer toward
the punk side of the scale while the formidable Shadowmen are deep on the trad
end.
The
Shadowmen win my curmudgeonly heart with statements like , “ [The ’ 50s ] studio
musicians that never got any recognition for their hard work is who we really
cherish!” Nowhere is that more evident than in the masterful guitar playing of Shadowman
Tom Sanderson (Hi-Lo Tones, ex -Long Gone Trio). Recognized throughout the
national rockabilly scene, his playing is pure class. There’s never a missed
note or wasted movement. Sanderson is all about musical economy, placing each
lick exactly where it needs to be and for exactly the right reason and for
exactly the right duration. No more and no less. Keep your eyes but especially
your ears on him.
The Line up:
Wanda Jackson
The Chop Tops
Danger Cakes
The Shadowmen
Mr Right & The Leftovers
**********************
**********************
